An article from Edutopia notes that “summer can give teachers time to rest and engage in collaborative learning that reconnects them with what they love about education.” And that’s exactly what Facing History aims to do with our summer professional learning.
Our goals for educators meeting with us in person and online during the summer are to:
- provide a relaxed, flexible atmosphere where teachers can meet peers and share ideas
- offer techniques and materials that ease the burden of lesson planning
- teach new skills that can lead to professional growth
- model learning that engages and inspires students and their teachers
To ensure we are meeting these goals, Facing History evaluates all of our summer offerings. We ask our participants what they loved and what energized them. We also ask them where they felt any given session dragged or could have been more engaging or informative.
Each summer we welcome over 5,000 educational professionals into our seminars, workshops, and webinars and we evaluate the experience of every single individual. Together, the data maps out a detailed picture of both how we are succeeding and where there’s room for improvement, giving us the precise information we need in order to make our professional learning opportunities better every single time.
Teachers Leave Happy
We love these quotes because they not only showcase what we’re doing right, but they dive into some of the ways our professional development stands out.
“I'm a new teacher and am about to start a job at a public high school in a state with divisive concept laws, which is intimidating to say the least. I went to both this seminar and the Teaching for Equity and Social Justice seminar earlier this summer and I cannot overstate how important these sessions have been for me. It means so much to be able to connect with scholars and other teachers who are concerned about the constraints teachers and students of history are currently facing. Your online learning materials are phenomenal and the sessions have all been incredibly effective and well facilitated.” - Reconstruction Online Seminar, Summer 2023
“In a time of exhaustive curriculum adoption in NYC, I have to say this might be the most thoughtful and empowering curriculum support I have seen. You did a wonderful job of authentically honoring educators as experts.” - NYC Civics Seminar, Summer 2023
“Some of the best PD I've done either online or in person! I felt actively engaged the entire time. Wonderful balance of whole group, community group, breakout conversations, individual reflection. It was like you had already anticipated exactly when I would need to have things shaken up a bit and you would introduce a new approach or way of learning. Super impressed and I wish that all of my English Department colleagues had attended.” - ELA Coming of Age Online Seminar, Summer 2023
Let’s Do the Numbers
- Over 97% of attendees said the resources provided are useful to classroom teaching.
- Over 95% of attendees came away with confidence in their ability to foster concepts such as equity, civic agency, and ethical reflection within themselves and their students.
- Over 93% of attendees plan to use what they’ve learned from Facing History trainings in their classroom.
- Over 90% of attendees placed the value of their summer professional learning with Facing History as high or extremely high, with over 98% saying they would recommend the PD to others.
- Over 82% of attendees felt that the professional learning welcomed them to be brave or candid within the learning environment. Some sessions also offered a BIPOC affinity space—and while only 13% of attendees were part of this space, 100% of those attendees found value in it, including allowing for additional candor.
But Does Facing History Professional Learning Equate to Effective Outcomes in Schools?
Our participants have taken the time to share with us the many ways in which our professional learning events have impacted their knowledge and development. Many have expressed gratitude for how our workshops and seminars revitalized them; equipped them with powerful resources, tools, and strategies; connected them to a community of dedicated educators; and helped them think differently about teaching and learning.
“I was feeling so burnt out at the end of the school year; I was on the verge of making this upcoming school year my last in education because I feel so defeated by current policies and student behavior. This work reinvigorated my why. I feel so much more motivated to stay in education and even go into leadership to enact the systemic changes we discussed during this institute.” - Teaching for Equity and Justice 2023 Online Summer Institute Participant
We also know from longitudinal studies that Facing History students are more engaged and eager to learn, that Facing History improves social, emotional, and ethical awareness, and that our content positively impacts teacher self-efficacy. You can learn more about our randomized controlled studies here.
Interested in bringing Facing History professional development to your school or district? Take a look at some of our introductory offerings or set up a time to meet with our team to get more information.
